Vestibule-curtain for railway-cars.



P. G. E Y.

VE LE CURTAIN F0 WAY CARS.

LlcATloN FILED s .1914.

L92 .159@2.. Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

[Il l NIIIIIMIMIH WN 4 Q is ils.

PLATO e. nivrnnr, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs.

VESTIBULE-CU-RTAIN FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Application filed September 22, 1914.

To all whom t may concern:

le it known that l', FIATO Gr. EMERY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois7 have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vestibule-Curtains 'for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a speci.- iication.

This invention relates to improvements in vestibule curtains for railway cars.

An object of the invention is to provide an automatic uncoupling handle having a vestibule curtain so arranged that it will yield under excessive pull on the handle.

Other objects oi.E the invention are to provide an automatic uncoupling handle of the type above indicated in which the use of springs is eliminated, and so constructed that it may be readily set and reset.

rlhe invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the parts and devices and in the novel combinations of the parts and devicesherein shown, described or claimed.

As is well known, vestibule curtains are secured to the vestibules of railway cars and are mounted on spring rollers, the curtains being pulled over the vestibule Vdiaphragm and held en the adjacent ends of the vestibules of adjoining cars. in practice, it has been :found that a great many .curtains are torn when the cars are separated because of the :tact that the train men frequently neg.

lect to uncouple the curtains before uncoupling the cars. ln my invention, l provide automatic means which will permit the curtain to be uncoupled under excessive pull, that is, when the cars are uncoupled, thereby preventing tearing of the curtains.

In the drawing forming a part of this speciiication, Figure 1 is a horizontal, sectional view showing portions of adjacent .'estibules of two cars coupled together and sho\.ving also my improvements in connec tion therewith. Fig. 2 is a side elevation and part sectional view of the improved automatic uncoupling handle, and showing in dotted lines the manner in which the handle is released or uncoupled. Figs. 3 and 11 are sectional views taken substantially on the line 3 3 and 4;-1 respectively of Fig. 2.

in said drawing, the vestibule curtain l is shown asinounted on a spring-actuated roller 11, the curtain having secured to the free edge thereof a handle designated generally by the reference A which is adapted to be hooked over a catch 12 on a vestibule Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. itl, 1917. serial No. 862,898.

adjacent to that on which the curtain is mounted, as shown in Fig. 1.

My improved handle, as shown, comprises two horizontally extending brackets 13 and 14 secured in any suitable manner to the free edge of the curtain, each of said brackets having mounted therein, a pivoted member 15. The upper member 15 is provided with an elongated socket 16 at its free end and the lower member 15 is provided with a similar socket 17 but of shorter length. rFliese sockets 1G and 17, under normal conditions, will be in alinement with each other and will be so held by means of a piece of wood, stili wire or other suitable substance 18 which is seated in the sockets 16 and 17 and extends past the ends thereof. This element 18 will be formed short enough so that it can be pushed up into the socket A16 to thereby permit the two pivoted members 15 to be brought into alinement, after which the element 18 will fall under the influence of gravity into the socket 17. rlhe length of the element 18 and the socket 17 will be so proportioned that when the former falls into the socket 17, it will extend into both sockets 16 and 17.

ln operation, the piece of wood or wire 18 will preventthe members 15 from swinging about their pivots under normal conditions, but under excessive pull, the piece of wood or wire will bend, break or pull out, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and will thereby permit the separation of the ends of the two members 15 and automatically release or uncouple the handle.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the handle provided does not employ springs, which are more or less objectionable; any convenient piece of wood or wire may be used to hold the pivoted members 15 in alinement; the handle may be locked or set without diliculty and there are no undesirable projections or sharp points which are likely to tear the clothing of persons passing through the v stibule.

l am aware that various modifications and changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing `from the spirit of the invention and all such changes and modifications are contemplated as come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. The combination of a curtain mounted on the spring-actuated roller, of a handle applied to the f'ree'edge of said curtain, said handle including a pivoted member having a socket therein adjacent to and in-alinement with another socket of the handle and an element extending between said sockets preventing said pivoted member from swinging under normal pulls onthe -handle but adapted to yield and permit said member to swing under excessive pull on the handle, substantially -as specified.

2. A device of the characted described including, in combination: a vestibule curtain mounted on a spring-actuated roller; and a handle applied to the -free edge of said curtain, said handle including two pivoted members havingalined sockets at their free ends and an element within said sockets for preventing vsaid pivoted members from swinging under normal pulls on the handle butadapted tio yield andpermit said members to swing and separate under excessive pullon .the handle, substantially as specified. Y

3.A A device of the character described including, in combination: va vestibule curtain mounted on a spring actuated roller; and a handle applied to the free edge of said curtain, said handle including a pivoted member and an element extending from the vfree end of said member engaging a part of the handle and preventing said member from movement under normal pulls but permittingsaid pivotedmember to swing under excessive pull, .substantially as speciied.

4.v A device ofthe character described including, in combination: a lvestibule curtain mounted. on a spring actuated roller; and a handle applied to lthe free edge of said curtain, said handle including two separable members and means connecting their free ends to retain the curtain in open position under-normal pull and permitting the release and separation of said members under excessive pull on the handle, substantially as specified.

5. A device of the character described including, in combination: a vestibule curtain mounted on a spring actuated roller; and a handle applied to the free edge of said curtain, said handle including movable members separable to permit release of the curtain7 adjacent edges of said members being connected in suiiicient security to withstand normal pulls on the handle and permitting separation of said members under excessive pull on the handle, substantially as specified.

6. A device of the character described including, in combination: a vestibule curtain mounted on a spring actuated roller; and a handle applied to the free edge of said curtain, said handle including two pivotal members and destruetible means for holding said pivotal members in alinement in operative position under normal pulls on said handle, excessive pull on the handle destroying said mcansto permit release of said curtain, substantially as specified.

Signed this 19 day of November 1913 in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PLATO G. EMERY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. GEIGER, JOSEPH HARRIS.

Copiesef .this patent may he obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

